When were glasses designed to correct vision? History of glasses

90% of the surrounding information we perceive with our eyes. Even in ancient Rome, scientists and thinkers came to the conclusion that a blind person is practically helpless and useless. When were glasses designed to correct vision? There is no unequivocal opinion on this matter, but there are many prerequisites and proofs that can tell a lot about the history of the emergence of this device.

History of glasses

Archaeologists managed to find sunglasses in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun , and Emperor Nero suffered from exposure to sunlight and used an emerald previously inserted into the frame. And now this invention is used by a third of the entire population on the planet.

During archaeological excavations, a fairly large number of lenses were found in Greece, Egypt, Italy, and Mesopotamia (the findings date back to the approximate date - 2500 years BC). And on the ruins of the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete (Greece) was found a small lens made of rock crystal, dating back to 1600 BC. The oldest lenses, found in Sargon, date back to the V-IV centuries BC.

However, these and many other findings do not give any reason to believe that the lens at that time was used as an optical instrument. Even found works on optics do not contain information that the lenses were used to eliminate visual defects.

The invention of glasses

The question remains the same - when were glasses designed for vision correction? The first optical glasses, which have some common features with modern ones, appeared in Italy around the 13th century. By the way, the Italian masters of glassblowing, polishing and polishing were considered the best in the world. What is the worthy reputation of Venetian glass?

For a long time glass blowers in Italy worked with brittle materials and probably knew the properties and distinctive features of glass, including optical ones. And here is the very idea of combining two lenses of the frame belongs to Salvino Armati born in Florence. It was he who began to make purposeful glasses for correction of vision, which, in turn, were originally intended for people suffering from farsightedness.

Who owns the idea of creating glasses?

This is only approximate information about when glasses for vision correction were invented. As it became clear, there is no definitive answer, but many researchers are inclined to believe that the date of the invention falls on the XIII century.

But there is another, quite logical, question: who invented glasses for vision correction? The idea of framing two lenses belongs to Salvino Armati, but one can not fail to mention the work of a professor at Oxford University who made a lot of efforts to study the refraction of the image in lenses. And again XIII century - Roger Bacon worked in 1214-1292.

Special attention should be paid to the activities of the Italian artisan Alexander Spin. He in the XIII century began to make lenses for vision correction and sell them to the population of Pisa and the surrounding regions. But the 16th century distinguished itself not by the best time for optical products - a ban on wearing glasses was introduced, since many simply did not understand the principle of their work and could not evaluate their properties.

When and how did the first glasses appear?

By whom, how and when were glasses invented to correct vision? With this issue everything has become much clearer. It remains only to delve into the history of creating this indispensable accessory for many people. If the first glasses first appeared in the XIII century, then the scattering lenses only saw the light in the 16th century - this fact was also due to the fact that glasses for people suffering from myopia appeared so late.

Nevertheless, this is already a significant breakthrough in the field of corrective optics. Agree, this invention was much better than crystals or pieces of glass, through which people in ancient times fought with visual defects. A little over 700 years have passed, but the glasses have not lost their relevance. Along with innovations such as laser correction or contact lenses, making glasses is still popular.

Interesting and entertaining facts about glasses

Looking at the history of the invention, figuring out the question when the glasses were invented and who owns this idea, you can trace the evolution of this indispensable accessory. So, for example, in the XIII century, these were just lenses fixed with a conventional frame in the most uncomplicated manner. XIV century - this is the time of the monocle, which was a lens, fixed on the length of an elegant handle or chain. Over time, glasses for glasses, lenses and frames became more and more perfect. So, soon the light saw lorgnettes and pince-nez, which became even a kind of symbol of this or that era.

It is worth noting that glasses and other optical devices were improved not only from a technical point of view - the design also underwent a change, as well as its quality and material. Not surprisingly, pretty soon glasses could tell about the status of the owner and his belonging to one or another genus. So, for example, the Spanish grandees wore glasses with very large lenses, which emphasized their belonging to high-ranking people.

Evolution of glasses for vision correction

Glasses on the long arch are a relative innovation, replaced by spring glasses, which are very conveniently attached to the nose. Masters and experts of their work did not bypass the beautiful half of humanity - for the ladies a special device was invented, which made it easy to fasten glasses on the bonnet. It should be noted that this innovation was widespread in the XV-XVIII centuries, and not only among ladies: high-ranking officials did not consider it necessary to take off their hats, so this device was relevant for them.

Of course, glasses were not available to everyone - this is due to the high cost of their manufacture. In order to get a really clean and transparent glass, it took a lot of money, so they could only afford rich people.

And again about the date of the glasses

When glasses for vision correction were invented - it is understandable. But what can you say about sunglasses? When did this invention first appear before the general public?

Strangely enough, the manufacture of glasses to protect the eyes from direct sunlight belongs to the Eskimos. Although, if you understand, there is nothing strange about this. In the polar day, the sun shines very brightly, and if we add to this the blinding eyes of the whiteness of the boundless snowy expanses and the ability of the snow to reflect the sun's rays, it appears that the inhabitants of the Far North needed an order of magnitude higher in this population than in the aborigines of other regions. The first sunglasses consisted of bone plates with several slots, which allowed to reduce the impact of sunlight.

Useful Points Properties

Everyone knows that the eyes - this is an indispensable organ that allows you to receive a huge amount of information from the outside world. That is why their health needs to be given the utmost attention and regularly undergo examination from a qualified specialist.

In no case need to engage in self-selection of glasses for vision correction. For these purposes, there are ophthalmologists. It is necessary to try to protect your eyes from intense activity, constantly doing warm-ups and giving them some time for rest.

What else can you add? Modern technologies offer unique methods of vision correction - laser correction and contact lenses. However, glasses do not have such close contact with the eye, which means that they are not so dangerous and traumatic. Moreover, glasses in the modern world is a spectacular accessory that can radically change the appearance.